


Send Me Flowers

by Stay_Frosty



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: Angst and Feels, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Closeted Character, Divorce, M/M, Marvin is a Mess (Falsettos)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27016699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stay_Frosty/pseuds/Stay_Frosty
Summary: Marvin never truly believed that purchasing something as superficial as flowers would fix the problems in his life, yet it was often a solution that he found himself resorting to regardless. He believed the notion to be frivolous, however, those around him thought it was sweet. Needless to say, the man was no stranger to the little plant shop in town.
Relationships: Dr. Charlotte/Cordelia (Falsettos), Marvin/Trina (Falsettos), Trina/Mendel Weisenbachfeld, Whizzer Brown/Marvin
Comments: 7
Kudos: 9





	Send Me Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> hi friends - it has been a while since I have posted anything. I was first of all planning to make this a one-shot, but as it became longer and longer and my writing schedule became tighter, I realised it may take some time to get this up if I attempt to upload all at once. 
> 
> So, I decided to split this up into individual characters and explore the way something as simple as flowers can reflect Marvin's relationships throughout the years. My good friend Aninha gave me the idea for this (if you're reading this, I love u and I hope you're doing amazing) and my thoughts about the end result eventually spiralled into this. I'm not too sure what I think about it just yet but I hope you enjoy !!
> 
> Oh, and a quick warning. this will not have a happy ending, I'm staying true to canon as much as possible and that will include Whizzer's death. if you are looking for something fun and light-hearted, you're not going to find that consistently here: just saying :)

One of the most unlikely friendships that Marvin had formed over the years was with that of a young florist. While he never truly believed that purchasing something as superficial as flowers would fix the problems in his life, it was often a solution that he found himself resorting to regardless. He believed the notion to be frivolous, however, those around him thought it was sweet. Needless to say, the man was no stranger to the little plant shop in town. 

The first time Marvin had visited the store was after an argument with Trina. Well, perhaps argument was not the correct word; that would imply there was fighting involved, or at the very least, disagreement. However, this was not the case. Not that the couple didn’t have their fair share of fights - but what marriage didn’t have problems? 

Oh, who was he kidding? Even Marvin wasn’t delusional enough to convince himself that their marriage was either normal or healthy. Deep down they both knew that the extra shifts he was picking up at work weren’t quite as necessary as he claimed they were, and while this fact most often went unspoken, it was becoming increasingly obvious how tired Trina was of his behaviour. That was the only way Marvin could truly describe his wife’s demeanour: tired. 

If anything Marvin was thankful for the fighting. In some twisted way, it reminded him that they had something to fight  _ towards _ , even if that something was simply the chance of a normal life for him. That is why it was much more startling to him that when he told Trina he would be late home  _ again,  _ she had responded with a simple “ _ alright, Marvin”.  _ There was no fight _ ,  _ the only sign of disapproval was the quiet sigh that escaped her lips. It was then that Marvin knew he had gone too far, that this was much more serious than their typical squabbles. He had been too inexcusably distant and would have to proceed with caution because if he continued to push her away, she might not come back. 

After ten years of marriage, Marvin had realised that no matter how hard he tried, no matter how desperately he wanted it, he couldn’t love Trina. It was to no fault of her own - Marvin might be gay (although he couldn’t quite bring himself to say the word yet), but he was no fool. Trina was beautiful and kind-hearted and so goddamn good to him that he could barely look her in the eye without feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt, hence the extra shifts at work. 

That being said, Trina was the mother of his child and a friend - his only friend. If he couldn’t love her like he wanted to, he would at the very least give her the perfect life they both desperately wanted. He would give her the very Jewish, very middle class and very  _ straight  _ life that her parents wanted for her, the life that Marvin so desperately wanted for himself. He would salvage their marriage if it killed him. Because really, what other choice did he have?

_ Trina was his last-ditch attempt at being normal.  _

He had called her one afternoon from work, wincing at the way she sighed disapprovingly in lieu of her usual greeting.  _ “Marv, I was planning linguine tonight,”  _ she told him. Her tone was almost pleading, and the desperation in her voice made Marvin’s stomach twist. Linguine was his favourite, and Trina knew that. She was trying to make amends - the pasta dish somewhat of an olive branch - only to think he was going to cancel on her again. 

_ What kind of a man was he? _

“That sounds great, hon,” he told her, masking the tremble in his voice. Why was he so nervous? He hoped she couldn’t tell. It was best that this ordeal seemed like a spontaneous romantic gesture rather than the pitiful beg for forgiveness it really was. “But I was actually thinking we could go out for dinner tonight?” 

A short pause, a small gasp, and a tremendous wave of guilt on Marvin’s behalf.  _ “Really?”  _ Trina asked, in shock and disbelief. Marvin grimaced. _ “What’s the occasion?”  _

He couldn’t help the scoff that left his lips at her question. Apologies weren’t his strong point; he tended to just fix the issue without ever bringing it up, and he resented the way she was questioning his methods. 

“I’ve been working so much lately that we’ve barely seen each other,” he reasoned calmly - as if that weren’t at all obvious to the woman already. “I miss you. Jace too, I think it would be nice to do something as a family.”

If Trina detected the edge to his voice then she did not show it. Instead, with an unhidden hint of excitement, she quickly agreed and thanked her husband for the suggestion. 

Marvin realised that he resented the way he was praised for the most basic of efforts more than he resented Trina’s questions. He shouldn't be thanked for being a good father, a good husband, even for one night, but even Marvin wasn’t pig-headed enough to realise her reaction was reasonable. 

So, to fully emphasise just how sorry he was, Marvin had stopped by the quaint little store on his way home from work. The botanical gift was more of a balm to soothe his own unrelenting guilt than it was a spontaneous present for his wife, but he knew how much they would mean to her regardless. 

Trina was very particular about those sorts of things: everything should look nice and nothing should be out of place. “ _ Lovely” _ was the word she would use. Everything should look lovely. It was an empty word to Marvin, meaningless and entirely subjective - but if it was important to her then it was important to him - which is why he was so embarrassingly flustered about selecting the right flowers. 

He spent at least ten minutes helplessly browsing the store until the young girl behind the counter coughed and caught his attention. “Need any help?” she asked, an amused smile on her lips. A lost husband hopelessly trying to find the right bunch was most likely a sight she was presented with every day. With a sigh, Marvin nodded. 

“How bad is it?” she asked, her amusement quickly replaced with compassion. Marvin didn't have to ask what she was referring to, didn't care how obvious it was that he was a dog licking his wounds. 

“Bad,” he admitted honestly. One more mistake away from the conversation of a divorce coming up was the full truth, but perhaps she didn't need that much detail. 

_ Was it stupid to think that flowers would solve this? _

"Well, roses are generic - it'll be obvious you're sucking up," the girl explained bluntly. Marvin listened with interest, hanging onto her every word as if she were going to drop some miracle, marriage-saving gem. "How about lilies? You don't have cats, right?" 

Marvin shook his head. 

"Then I'd say lilies," she confirmed, already perusing for their finest bunch. He knew he was out of his depth and was grateful for the help he was receiving. “They’re simple but pretty. Look like more of a thoughtful gift than a plea for forgiveness,” she added playfully with a chuckle. 

Marvin wasn’t laughing - she had assumed his situation perfectly. What hope did they have if it was so painfully obvious that their marriage was failing, to a stranger at that?

Her face softened. “Hey, I’m sorry,” she said gently, offering a sheepish smile. Marvin wasn’t sure he deserved her kindness. “I’m sure everything will be okay.” 

Marvin offered a polite half-smile. “Thank you,” he replied earnestly. “I really appreciate your help.” 

The night was successful; Trina loved the flowers and though it took some convincing, Jason did manage to find something on the restaurant menu that he wanted to eat. Marvin made more of an effort to spend time with his family, though it didn’t take long for him to slip back into his workaholic habits. He knew it would only be so long before the penny dropped: before the only people who had ever cared about him discovered he was a liar - that his feelings were more contrived and thought out in order to fit his straight narrative than they were genuine.  Still, for now his marriage had been salvaged, and so he mentally chalked on up to the sweet florist


End file.
